Frames, whether of the type commonly referred to as "picture frames" or those designed for more utilitarian purposes such as are used in silk screen printing processes or in the fabrication of racks or jigs, have historically been fabricated from lengths of wood which have been mitered at both ends and joined together by diverse means ranging from common nails to specially designed end pieces joined to each of the lengths of wood comprising the elongated side members by various agents including glue depending upon the particular use to which the frame is intended and the rigidity of its structure. While frames comprising wood side members may serve adequately for most purposes, in recent years a trend toward the use of plastic as a substitute for wood including plastic "picture frames" has been noticeably advanced. An example of such a plastic framing assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,293; however, by reason of the multiplicity of components which go to define the aforementioned framing assembly, there is an inherent weakness in its structure related particularly to the manner in which adjacent ones of the elongated framing members are joined together. Thus, not only is the minimum number of components needed to define a frame increased by at least a multiplier of two, but the number of bonding points is likewise multiplied by a minimum factor of two. This in turn gives rise to a higher probability of failure at any one of the bonding points which in and of itself may be sufficient to weaken the framing assembly so as to obviate its intended function. Not only do the increased number of components give rise to an increased cost factor, but the construction cost is further increased by reason of the added labor cost required to effect fabrication of such frames.
In addition to the lack of rigidity in the finished framing assembly, which could only be partially eliminated by enhancing the design of the connecting means, such prior art frames suffer from an added disadvantage in that they are not capable of being readily redimensioned to provide a frame of any desired size.